The Ice God
by Kuann
Summary: Two months have passed in Arendelle since Queen Elsa's coronation, but not all is well. Anna fears another divide with her sister, Elsa struggles to learn what she has missed in 13 years of isolation, and Arendelle is threatened by dangerous forces outside its borders. A threat arises from the past that cannot be ignored, and a wild card arrival puts the future in doubt.
1. 1: Uller

**Greetings, fellow Frozenites! Gee, what a movie Frozen was. It has been quite some time since I've seen a Disney movie so magical - and I _love_ Disney! So much did I love Frozen that I couldn't resist writing about it. In fact, I couldn't help but write the most ambitious storyline that I could think of. This is a continuation of the movie, with this chapter serving as a prologue of sorts. I will do my best to develop the existing characters, add new ones, and overall just continue the adventures of the Frozen cast. I would, of course, love to hear your feedback - good and bad, so long as it is reasonable - as I write to share. Most of all, however, enjoy this adventure with me as we return to the gorgeous kingdom of Arendelle and all the magic of Frozen!**

**For reference, this story will have romance, violence, and the best character development I can manage. There will be some new characters, some of which will be very important to the story. I will do my best to honor the characters that this movie has blessed us with, but I do not, in any way, own Frozen or its cast. There, I said it, and I won't bother saying it again. Now, with my babbling out of the way, enjoy this first chapter of The Ice God!**

* * *

**Chapter 1 - Uller**

King Sigurd wanted to explode. The physician had been hunched over his daughter for over an hour, examining his notes and occasionally checking her temperature. Sigurd knew what was happening; the doctor was out of ideas. He was stalling, trying to find one last ounce of hope to bring back to the king and queen of Arendelle. Perhaps it was true determination to save the princess; perhaps it was simply fear of failing royalty. At this point, Sigurd didn't care. The only reason he hadn't stopped the man half an hour ago was the desperate hope in his wife's eyes.

Queen Helga was wrapped about his arm, squeezing it occasionally. She hadn't looked away from the princess's crib since the physician arrived. To remove him now would be to leave a lasting shred of doubt in her heart. She would forever wonder if, had he been allowed to stay for one more minute, perhaps their little Elsa could have been saved. So the king waited.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the doctor sighed and packed his things. As he stood and turned to face them, Sigurd noticed how the bushy white mustache, small spectacles, and bags under his eyes combined to make him look so very old. He scolded himself for thinking of the royal physician so cynically; the man had spent more time with Elsa than not these past few days. The last two nights had been sleepless for all three of them.

"Is there anything to be done?" Helga asked. She had asked the question so many times now, but Sigurd could not blame her for trying again.

"Your daughter's fever only increases," the doctor replied. "For all my experience, I am powerless to stop it. She does not have much time left."

Even expecting the answer, the queen buried her face into Sigurd's shoulder. He felt her sob against it. Even his eyes grew moist, but he refused to be weak for his wife in her time of agony.

_Conceal it. Don't feel it. Don't let it show._

A motto that had kept the rulers of Arendelle strong. For all the tragedy the past weeks had carried, he would not let that tradition fade now.

"I will leave you alone, for the time that is left." The physician walked toward the doorway. Sigurd placed his free hand on the man's shoulder as he passed them.

"Thank you. For doing as best you could."

The physician looked up at him. There was grief in his eyes. "Do not thank me, my lord. I only wish that I could have done more."

Sigurd let him go without another word. The guards followed, leaving the royal family alone in Elsa's room. Helga moved first, coming to the princess's crib with wet eyes. Elsa was still so small, born not two months ago, yet her face was reddened with fever. She slept fitfully in the blankets in which they had wrapped her. Sigurd felt that it could only be making her fever worse, but she had shivered so without them…

Helga scooped up their chestnut-haired baby ever so gently. He saw how perfectly his wife cradled her, how loving her expression was, and it filled him with agony.

_What a mother she could be…_

Helga sniffed, allowing a faint smile to come to her as she gazed down at Elsa. "Oh, Sigurd… she's so beautiful…"

He came to her side, pulling her close as they stood with their daughter. "I know," he said, the faintest tremor in his voice. "I know."

That was when he heard it. At the time, he did not know how he would come to dread that sound: the slow whine of forming frost. It was coming from behind the balcony doors on the other end of Elsa's room.

The king and queen stared in shock at the ice that continued to spread from the doorway in little frozen spindles. Helga clutched Elsa closer to her as the temperature of the room dropped.

"Is that… ice? But it's August!"

Her voice was filled with fear, not for herself, but for Elsa. Sigurd narrowed his eyes; he smelled magic.

"Stay back," he said, drawing a rapier from the decorative rack on the wall. He tried to see through the panes of glass mounted on the doors, but frost had covered them completely. Cold emanated from them in waves. Sigurd readied himself to strike at whatever sorcerer dared to attack his family.

Then he heard a knock. It was was muffled through the ice outside, but unmistakable - a curt, triple thudding on the doors. He cocked his head in confusion, looking back at Helga. She appeared equally bemused, but by the way she held Elsa, she felt anything but safe. Sigurd turned back to the doors, braced himself, and swung them wide.

In their place stood a man. He was tall and fair-skinned, with a gray mustache and beard that were coated in a fine layer of frost. He was covered from neck to toe in well-sewn furs, with a wolf pelt draped across his shoulders. Cold air absolutely flowed into the room, causing Sigurd's hair to stand on end.

The king held his sword to the new arrival's nose. "Who are you? And how dare you intrude on the house of Arendelle?" he demanded.

The man looked down upon the rapier as if the king were holding a stick. "My name is Uller, Master of the Mountains. You'll find that sword quite unnecessary."

Uller moved into the room without invitation, unfastening his cloak and draping it about his arm. Sigurd, however, could not bring himself to strike; he recognized that name.

"_Uller_? The god?"

The god smirked. "Ah! So you know of the old gods! I'm impressed. We haven't been very popular for the last century or two."

Sigurd did not drop his stance. "Why are you here?"

"Because I, along with the rest of my brethren, am running out of time. I wish to end this era on a high note."

Sigurd narrowed his eyes. "I am sorry to be a bad host, but my daughter is ill, and my wife and I would like to be alone with her."

"Ah! But King Sigurd, that is precisely the reason I have come."

_Now_ he lowered the sword. "What do you mean?"

Uller smiled, an expression surprisingly warm for one rimmed by ice. "I can save your daughter."

Sigurd tightened his grip on the rapier. He couldn't be serious. _Now_? A peddler of cheap tricks, come at this horrible time for a family that had existed for so brief a time?

"How dare you-"

"How?"

The king stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of his wife's voice. Helga had stepped forward. She no longer gazed upon Uller with fear or suspicion. "How can you save her?"

The frozen god looked at Helga sympathetically before motioning for her to come forward. For the moment, Sigurd chose not to speak; instead he moved to his wife's side as she, somewhat hesitantly, came forward and presented Elsa. Uller did not take the princess into his hands - a good thing, as Sigurd would have chopped them off - but he did look at her closely, discerningly, as if he himself were the royal physician.

"Your daughter is indeed very ill, but it is her fever, not the illness, that is killing her."

Sigurd looked at Helga, saw the pain in her eyes.

_You had better be telling the truth._

"My power can stop it, and make it so that no sickness can touch her," Uller continued. "She will be healthy and beautiful all her life, as she might have been before." He extended his hand over the child. The air above her shimmered, as if tiny crystals of ice were floating down to her. To Sigurd's amazement, the flushing of Elsa's face paled, her face relaxed, but most noticeably of all, her hair faded until it was nearly white. By the time Uller removed his hand, she looked as if she were simply napping, cozily snuggled in her mother's arms.

And then, it was gone. The baby screwed her eyes tight, and her hair faded to brown again. "But," Uller added, his expression becoming somber, "my powers are not without cost-"

"Do it." Once again, attention fell to Helga. She glanced at Sigurd, but it was clear to him that she was not seeking his approval. "My daughter is dying. We will do anything you ask."

Uller looked appraisingly upon her before nodding resolutely. Tentatively, as if he were trying to pose an acorn on its point, he touched Elsa on her brow. Soft blue light splayed out across her face like a snowflake, then faded as if it were receding into her flesh. Once again her hair turned platinum, and her body calmed.

Neither the king nor the queen could take their eyes off of her. She was indeed the most beautiful thing they had ever seen. King Sigurd shed a single tear of relief.

The sound of heavy footsteps broke them from their trance. Uller was heading for the balcony. Once again fastened around his shoulders, the wolf pelt made an imposing silhouette in the summer moonlight.

"Lord Uller!" Sigurd called back to him. "You said your powers had a price! What is it? What must we do?"

The ice god paused, turning back to them. He suddenly looked much older, as if the magic he had used was all he had left.


	2. 2: Mice and Other Troubles

**Chapter 2 - Mice and Other Troubles**

Anna hummed quietly to herself as she strode down the palace hallway. The autumn sun dappled the carpet like little glowing leaves. It reminded her how much she liked the windows being open.

_At least that's one thing that's different,_ she thought, in light of her current task. Elsa had kept her promise - the gates of the palace hadn't been shut since the Great Freeze. Unfortunately, that had had an unfortunate side effect: a constant stream of petitioners and dignitaries were occupying the queen at every moment. So much was happening, at all hours of the day.

On the one hand, Elsa seemed to have tireless energy for it. She was a stateswoman that would have made their parents proud, always poised, well-informed, and kind beyond measure. But something had been increasingly nagging at Anna over the last few weeks.

Elsa was _so_ good at being queen that she failed to be anything else. Anna saw her at meal times, and they talked a bit when they saw each other around the castle - which was a _great_ change, by the way - but whenever Anna asked her to do something with her that was more than just, well, talking, the queen of Arendelle never seemed to have time. There were always letters to respond to, public complaints to be heard, or ambassadors to greet. Anna could count the number of times her sister had spoken to Kristoff on one hand - and she had tiny hands.

At least that's what he always told her. But Elsa wouldn't know that. Because she'd hardly ever spoken to him. Maybe if she had, Kristoff would see that Elsa's hands were equally tiny and that his hands were just fat.

Yeah. That would show him.

"Er… Princess Anna… show who?"

Anna snapped to attention, realizing that one of the maids was passing her in the hallway. They both stared at each other for almost ten seconds before she realized she was also supposed to say something.

"Oh, um… what? Is there something you need?"

"No, not at all, milady," the maid said apologetically. "I just thought I heard you say 'That would show him.'"

Anna felt her face prickle with redness. She'd been thinking out loud again - Kristoff said she did that too.

"Erm, _yes_… I did say that! That is what I said. I was just thinking about… boarding up the mouse hole in my room!"

_What mouse hole?_ She instantly regretted yet another execution of her lying talent. "I, erm… because that _would show him_ - I mean, the mouse - that he should find somewhere else to live."

The maid's eyebrows rose. "There's a mouse in your room, Princess? My goodness, that will not do. I will alert the staff at once to have it removed."

"Oh, that's really not-" Anna began, but the maid was already well out of earshot. She sure moved fast, for such an old lady.

The princess sighed and dropped her forehead against the wall with a dull thud. Hopefully her encounter with Elsa would go somewhat better.

Elsa! That's right, that was what she was on her way to do. Because she and Kristoff were going into the mountains today, and she wanted Elsa to join them.

So Anna marched even more resolutely down the hall toward her sister's room. It didn't help that Elsa's room was also her office. She'd even had a desk moved in there _just_ for paperwork. Imagine, an entire piece of furniture dedicated to _paper_! The thought made Anna blanch. It was apparently no trouble to Elsa, however - she was always, _always_ sitting at that thing. In fact, Anna was surprised that she hadn't gotten fat by now, with all that sitting. Actually, she wasn't surprised - nothing touched Elsa, not even weight gain.

Which made it even _easier_ for her to work all the time. And that was what was bothering Anna. Elsa had gained control of her powers, opened the gates, and was out and about the castle. Now that Anna thought about it, things _were_ different. But the queen of Arendelle had found a new door to close: her work.

Luckily, the _princess_ of Arendelle was nothing if not persistent. So she would ask Elsa again to join her and Kristoff on their day trip - and this time, she was not taking no for an answer.

* * *

**Aand welcome back to the present! With that mysterious thread of Elsa's past out of the way, we segue into some of the main plot points of the story. Granted, that's just Anna thinking to herself, but that girl's mind is a very lively place, so I don't mind. I am aware, by the way, that King Sigurd said Elsa was born with her powers. I simply figured that he wouldn't want to be explaining the events of Chapter 1 to the trolls at the time.**

**Thank you to my first two reviewers for your support! I appreciate all feedback, it keeps me going. See you tomorrow with another update!**


	3. 3: The Snow Queen

**Chapter 3 - The Snow Queen**

Elsa sighed as she added yet another signature to the pile of contracts on her desk. She was practically doubling the castle staff - still. It turned out that new servants had a talent for petty theft - replacement of fired staff was a daily chore. Perhaps she should hire a servant for _that_.

Committing the worst of sins, Elsa sat back in her chair and rested for a moment. When she had imagined being queen in the past, this was not what she had seen. Granted, she had not pictured much of what had happened in recent days. When some of the pressure of being a ruler was eased, when she had a chance to walk about the castle and see _people_, she remembered just how much better this was.

But there was still one problem with her way of life. As before, it had red hair, freckles, and loved to sing more than a warbler in springtime. And soon, as it had for the past week, that problem would come knocking on her door, asking if she wanted to go to the mountains. Even given that today was, well… today, the least fitting of days, the problem would likely have forgotten.

_Tap. Tap. Tap tap. Tap._

As if on cue, Anna's five-tone knock lightly roused Elsa from her thoughts. She sighed. Once again, she would have to break both of their hearts by saying no. For everything that had changed for Elsa, the only thing that had changed between _them_ was that she could now _see_ the disappointment on Anna's face. Oh, the simple joys of freedom.

The queen pushed her chair back and smoothed out the white dress she had taken to wearing. Though she still preferred to make her own clothing, dignitaries seemed to find a dress made of ice… unseemly. If that was the worst thing she had to concede in negotiations, she was willing to take the hit.

"Elsa?" came Anna's muffled voice from behind the door. "Are you in there?"

Despite herself, Elsa found her heart quickening as she approached the door. It wasn't fear, per se; she had learned to recognize fear straight away. This was just… _apprehension_. Apprehension that inexplicably appeared whenever she was about to see her sister face-to-face. If anything, it was frustrating, because she couldn't figure out why it happened.

Elsa gently opened the door, allowing Anna plenty of time to jump back from the keyhole into which she had been peering. Elsa put on her most welcoming smile for her sister.

"Hello Anna."

"Hi Elsa!" her sister replied, rubbing her right foot into the carpet as she spoke. "What are you up to in there?"

"Just… paperwork," she replied, noticing how boring that sounded. No wonder Anna wanted to get her out more. She must have seemed so stiff to her younger sister.

"Wow, _still_? Weren't you doing that yesterday?"

Elsa let out a mild smirk. "They do keep adding to it, you know."

"Right..." Anna laughed uncomfortably. "Just make sure you never die and make me queen."

Elsa arched an eyebrow, more out of amusement than anything else. Anna's eyes widened. "I mean, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Elsa just smiled at her. "It's alright, Anna. But… I do have a lot to do, so if you want to ask me something…"

"Oh! Right!" Anna cleared her throat and straightened. "Kristoff and I are going into the mountains today, and we have both decided that you should come with us. Need to come with us. As princess of Arendelle I… command you. To come with us."

Elsa quietly sighed, leaning against the doorway. "Anna, I-"

"And nothing you can say will change my mind!" she added, thrusting her finger in Elsa's face. Elsa stared at the point of that finger, then back at her.

"Anna, do you remember what's happening today?"

The fall of Anna's expression made Elsa truly feel like the queen of cold. "Not exactly, but I bet it's extremely important."

"Very."

"And involves a lot of men in stuffy jackets."

"The stuffiest."

Anna's eyes dropped like a hurt puppy's. "It's the trade summit today, isn't it?"

Elsa gave beheld her sister sympathetically. "I can't cut off our largest trading partner without making up for it somewhere. The people need to eat."

Anna huffed. "Yeah, I guess they do."

Elsa lifted her hand and _almost_ put it on Anna's shoulder, but it found its way to her own side instead. Luckily her sister did not look up until _after_ the awkward half-maneuver.

"I promise, Anna, when things are under control… I'd _love_ to speak with Kristoff, and go on day trips with you into the mountains. But for now…" she swallowed right before her voice would have cracked, "I can't."

_I can't_. She was getting so sick of those words.

Now Anna sighed. She looked up at Elsa with those blue, oh-so guilt-inducing eyes. It was so much easier to say no when the door was closed.

"You sure the people can't starve? Just a little?"

Elsa couldn't help but chuckle softly at that one. "If Kristoff wants to be Arendelle's official Food Master instead, let me know."

Anna smiled, but there was no mirth in it. "He wants to meet you, you know."

Elsa barely concealed her wince. _Please, Anna. Don't do that._ "I know," she said, "and I want to meet him too. I just want to make sure I can give him my full attention when I do. But I'll never be able to unless I finish…" she tilted her head back toward her desk, "_that_."

"Oh… right." Anna tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "I'll… I'll see you at dinner, then?"

"Well… there will be a banquet, after the summit," she answered delicately, trying to let her down gently. It didn't stop Anna's face from falling. "_But_ you still have a place reserved. Right next to me."

The hasty recovery seemed to work. The tiniest bit. Anna did her best fake smile - an expression Elsa could call out a mile away, thirteen years apart or no.

"I'll make sure we're back in time, then," she said, turning to slowly make her way down the hall.

There was something else, but for some reason she couldn't seem to get it out. _Just say it. Just ask._

"Anna?" she added, causing her sister to spin around faster than a reindeer after a carrot. "You know… you could attend the summit with me. You _are_ the princess of Arendelle, after all."

For a moment, she thought she saw Anna's eyes light up. But it was gone before she could be certain of it.

"I don't know…" the princess replied, kneading her hands together. "I mean… I'm not exactly the elegant type. I'd probably sign Arendelle into slavery or something."

Elsa laughed, covering her mouth. "It won't be as bad as you think."

"Well… you've never seen me do official things, then."

Something about that pricked at Elsa's heart. It was just enough to stop her laughter, remove any semblance of ease that she had built up. It wasn't because Anna had meant anything by it… it was because she was right. Elsa had _never_ seen her sister do… much of anything, really. She managed to retain most of her composure, but it was certainly enough to make her back off.

"Of course… it's your choice," she said. "Enjoy the mountains."

Anna smiled back, but only briefly. Elsa closed the door as soon as she started walking away.

The queen huffed and buried her face in her hands, leaning back against the door.

_I really am the Snow Queen_.

* * *

**So the angst begins. I figured that the magic and happiness of the movie's ending would have to wear off sometime, leaving a bit of drama in that regard. After all, Elsa has thirteen years of isolation to make up for _and_ what amounts to a political fiasco during the film to recover from. Busy, busy! Not to mention that a 21-year-old recluse may not be as ready as she thinks to run the kingdom.**

**Thank you to my three new reviewers, and Miss Pibbles for your faith! You guys keep me motivated!**


	4. 4: The Princess and the Pauper

**Chapter 4 - The Princess and the Pauper**

"You're quiet."

Kristoff's words jarred Anna out of her trance. The two of them were riding along on Sven's back as he carried them through the forested foothills of Arendelle. Anna looked back at her Ice Master and shrugged as she leaned back against him.

"I was just looking at the leaves," she lied, glancing up at the greenery that was just beginning to take on crimson, orange, and golden hues.

"Yeah, I love leaves too," Olaf piped up, walking beside Sven as he often did. Anna swore that Elsa sent him as a chaperone sometimes. "I love how they're green but then they turn _red_, or _yellow_, or sometimes _orange_… and I think I like orange the most because it's the best of both worlds. What do you think, Sven?"

"_Mruuunh_!"

"Yeah, that's true. You know what? I think fall is my new favorite season!"

Kristoff smirked. "Summer was your favorite a season ago."

"I know, but I hadn't seen fall yet."

"Gee, I wonder what he'll say when spring comes around," Kristoff whispered into her ear.

"What was that?" the snowman asked innocently.

"Huh? Oh, I didn't say anything," Kristoff lied. He didn't have to keep it up for long; the snowman had spotted a chipmunk.

"Hey, little guy!" Olaf piped up, ambling as he did. Anna smiled at his antics, but as she felt Kristoff's arm worm around her waist, she got the feeling that her performance today wasn't all that convincing.

"As I said before, you're quiet," he said. "What's wrong?"

Anna sighed. "It's Elsa. I just wish she could come with us one of these days. I want her to meet you."

"Hey, don't worry about that. I've met her."

"She nodded to you once and said your name. That doesn't count."

"Actually, she did it twice."

"Oh shut up."

She felt him chuckle, and she even smiled. A little. She couldn't stand the silence for long, however. "But it's not like she _can't_ come. Except for today. And maybe yesterday, if she needed to prepare."

"Actually, the day before that she was hearing public petitions."

She looked back at him, turning as much as was humanly possible while straddling a reindeer. "She was? Why do you know that and I don't?"

"Because I went to ask her to make me some ice."

"Kristoff!"

"Kidding!" He raised his hands innocently. "Not that I haven't been tempted. I mean, I wouldn't have to go into the mountains anymore. Not to mention it wouldn't have any impurities."

Anna laughed softly to herself, nuzzling into him even more. "I do like the thought of you being in town more."

He chuckled again, which didn't exactly bother her; she liked feeling the rhythm of his chest against her back. "Yeah, so we can be the subject of even more gossip."

"Tch, it's not that bad." Seconds after completing her sentence, however, she found herself suddenly uncertain. She turned back to him again. "Is it?"

"All I know is that I get _way_ too many looks on the street."

"Are they bad looks? You did just become the Ice Master of Arendelle, after all."

"That's still not a thing, no matter how many times you say it is."

"It's totally a thing."

He looked about, as if checking the weather. "Hm… nope. Still not."

"Kristoff-"

"Still not. Just checked."

"_Kristoff…_"

He smiled softly, looking down into her eyes. Her parents would always talk about how beautiful her eyes were, but she felt that Kristoff's eyes were highly underrated. They were a deep, dark brown, and there was this cuddly lovingness to them that made her feel all warm and bubbly to know that he was _hers_.

He bent down to kiss her on the forehead, but she angled herself to meet his lips with her own. He didn't seem displeased by the change.

"Maybe you should talk with your sister about the whole ice-making thing."

As soon as Elsa came back into the conversation, Anna felt her good mood slip away. She sighed. "It's not like anything else I ask her to do gets done."

"Oh come on, you big baby. I bet it's not as bad as you…" He trailed off as she fixed him in the most serious gaze he'd gotten in a long time. "Wow, this is really bothering you, huh?"

She sighed. "It's just that… for thirteen years, she shut me out. After everything that happened this summer, I knew things would be different. I just thought different might be… more _different_."

"Hey…" He gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sure Elsa wants to be with you, meet me, all that stuff. But being a queen can't be easy. I bet she just needs to get things sorted out."

Anna snorted. "She's been getting things sorted out for two months."

"Hey, you've been waiting this long."

She glared at him. "Don't go there."

He held his hands up again. "Just trying to help here. No offense meant."

After a brief pause, she sighed and fell back into him. "I'm sorry. It's just… the way she talks to me, it's like I'm just another one of her subjects. I get all the nods and curtsies and smiles that everyone else gets. And I feel like… I _know_ that… it should be more than that."

Kristoff sighed, wrapping her in a full embrace. He smelled like Sven very rarely now; his scent reminded her much more of pine and earth than sweat and fur. It made melting into his arms practically irresistible. Just as she started to drop into some semblance of relaxation, however, he said something that caught her attention like a hook.

"Maybe she just doesn't know how to act any other way."

"Wait, what?" she asked, despite having heard him perfectly.

"Yeah, I think they're really cute together too," Olaf's voice cut in. Anna and Kristoff practically jumped apart; Kristoff wobbled, nearly falling off Sven's behind. Olaf laughed in his usual gargle.

"Olaf - _ahem _- how long were you, um, standing there?" Anna asked, feeling the fire in her face. She wasn't sure what she had expected, honestly - awkward interruptions by Olaf were becoming an important part of this relationship.

"Not too long," he replied cheerily. "It took awhile to catch up to my new friend here." He patted the small chipmunk that was perched between the twigs that passed for his hair. She had been so surprised by the snowman's arrival that she hadn't noticed the little guy. "I'm thinking of calling him Chip. He doesn't seem to mind it, though for some reason I also thought Dale was a pretty good name."

Kristoff arched an eyebrow. "_Dale_? Why Dale?"

Olaf frowned, as if he himself could not recall. "Huh, dunno. Yeah, you're probably right; Chip is a much better name." He chuckled. "Now that I think about it, Dale seems like a pretty dumb name for a chipmunk. Why would anyone name a chipmunk _Dale_? Hehe!"

* * *

**With Kristoff, the main cast is all set up. He's not a POV character yet, but that will come as it does. I still need to get a feel for his character - I had to edit out some lines in which his and Anna's relationship seemed too advanced. I like the whole royalty-commoner aspect and all that, but let's be honest, writing decent relationships in fan fiction can be... treacherous. Let me know how I did, if there was too much cuddling, not enough, etc.**

**Got some new faces to my reviewers! Thank you to the guest reviewers that took the time, and the "veterans" (not that this is exactly an old tale) that have been reviewing as we go. I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as the others, and as always, see you tomorrow!**


	5. 5: The Shattering

**Chapter 5 - The Shattering**

_Boom_.

Marshmallow stirred from his slumber at the distant noise, slowly uncurling his icy limbs. Sunlight bathed the snow, causing the very mountaintop to shine. The hulking snowman grinned, gazing up in awe at the ice palace looming above him. It stood as beautiful as ever, glimmering in the sun.

Mother had left the palace a long time ago, after the bad men came. He wondered why she hadn't come back. But he had to guard it, in case she did. Then they could be alone together, just like she wanted.

Marshmallow gently touched the tiny crown atop his head. _Ting_… his icy finger went against it. Just a soft noise, very pretty, just like Mother. It was his only memory of her now; it had to be hers. Who else would leave such pretty things? It kept him happy, whenever he awoke and she wasn't there.

Wait… why was he awake? Oh, yes! Boom! There had been a noise. Not a pretty noise, though. So not Mother. But intruder!

Marshmallow rose to his full, towering height. The snow around him was white and pristine, undisturbed by anyone. The smaller mountains below stretched on and on, until their snowy tops gave way to woodlands. No intruders there. Nor would there be any in the fjord, even further than that, just barely visible in the distance.

Where could they be? Booms did not come from nothing! Marshmallow turned to the castle, but there was nobody to be seen there either.

Then he saw it. A shadow, flying across the face of the mountain. It was moving very fast, and getting bigger.

_INTRUDER_! Marshmallow looked up at the pale blue sky. He wasn't sure what he saw zooming through the air. It was glittering, indistinct. It was also _very_ fast, and getting closer to the palace every second. One thing was certain: it was not Mother. And only she could go to the castle!

The giant snowman roared, sprouting spikes of ice from his back. His fingers lengthened into claws as he charged, preparing to meet the intruder. He wouldn't fail like he did last time. This time, he would do what Mother had tasked him with: protect the castle. Maybe she would come back if he did.

The flying, crystalline shape did not change its course. It looked like a great ball of ice, hurtling down faster than anything he had ever seen. It would get there before him. It didn't matter, though; Mother had made him strong. He would _make _it leave.

Marshmallow got to the foot of the palace steps when it landed. That, he expected. What he didn't expect was the shriek of splitting ice, the raging whistle of a mass careening straight through everything in its path. The icy shard rocketed _through _Mother's palace, dropping out of sight into the valleys below. Marshmallow did not look after it long, however.

The castle was broken. Icy walls went from blue to an opaque white as they shattered, then exploded outward. Ice rained everywhere, battering his armor and knocking him over. He barely noticed he shards of ice that struck him, however. The castle was _broken_. He had failed again.

Mother would never come back now. Something stung his eyes, biting into the snowy pits. He couldn't understand what it was, but…

Then came the rumbling. It almost seemed to spring up from the chorus of falling ice shards, a small distraction at first, then an ominous tremor, and finally a din that could not be ignored. A new cracking filled the air, like snapping ice, but more muffled.

Marshmallow cautiously rose to his feet as the snow trembled. Small clumps began to roll down the mountainside.

Before he knew anything else, the snow beneath him gave way. There was a great roar, and suddenly the whole mountainside was falling with him. No, not the mountain - mountains did not fall. No, this was an-

A sheet of powder rushed over his head, blocking out the sun, drowning him in endless tumbling and roaring.

* * *

**I felt the story was moving a little slowly, so I've given this chapter the Michael Bay treatment. Explosions always make things more interesting, right? Right?**

**Don't worry, though. There's a reason for everything. Plus, Marshmallow. Had to throw in the King Over the Mountain somewhere. Huehue.**

**Thank you Seajade, Chinaluv, and Timbo for your continued reviews! Lady Tralala, Arlnoff, and Shadow Huntress, welcome to the fold! Glad you're all enjoying it!**


	6. 6: Three Lessons

**Chapter 6 - Three Lessons**

"Allow me to introduce the mistress of the house of Arendelle, Her Majesty Queen Elsa!"

Elsa took a cleansing breath, folding her hands neatly in front of her. Glancing down at the custom-tailored gown of green and violet hues did not make her feel any more regal. Her parents had trained her in how to appear composed in front of a crowd, but that did not mean that she felt at ease. Even if she wasn't going to freeze them, she had to be aware of the rumor mill that had been brewing in the last two months. In light of all her other concerns, she saw this moment as her best opportunity to put those rumors to rest. Apprehension, however, clawed at her like a starving animal.

_Make it through lunch first. You can worry about the summit once that's done._

She moved down the hall, guards following just behind. She measured her actions as she crossed the doorway into the great hall, coming into full view of the other dignitaries. Careful to neither look too soon at her guests, nor avert her eyes, Elsa waited patiently for the servants to pull her chair aside.

The luncheon spread was fabulous; Kai had truly outdone himself. Emissaries from near and far had been meticulously seated at the massive oaken table. A pristine violet tablecloth was held down by polished silverware and - increasingly so, as the servants laid it out - dishes of ptarmigan breast with lingonberry jam. She smirked at the memory those little slabs of poultry brought to mind.

* * *

_"And for lunch I've set the cook to preparing a reindeer stew-"_

_ "Wait." Elsa raised her hand to gently interrupt Kai. "You're serving reindeer at the luncheon?"_

_ Her chief of staff blinked, obviously surprised by the detail on which she was focused. "Er… yes, your majesty. With assorted vegetables."_

_ She had to suppress a smile at the look of fear that was creeping across his face. She had not made a single protest throughout his long list of specifics about the summit's proceedings. Why she had stopped him now, it seemed, was causing him a great deal of confusion._

_ "Kai, you've done a wonderful job planning all of this, and I couldn't be more pleased…"_

_ "Thank you, Your Majesty."_

_ "Elsa, please. You've known me since I was born." The correction slipped out a bit more bluntly than she had hoped, but she pressed on unhindered. "Despite how meticulously planned all of this has been, we're going to have to change the dish."_

_ "The dish? I mean no offense, but what is wrong with reindeer?"_

_ Elsa smiled understandingly. "The official Ice Master of Arendelle is particularly close to a reindeer, as I understand it. Being that my sister owes her life to that man, I would be in remiss if I allowed reindeer to be served in this castle ever again."_

_ "But Your Majesty-"_

_ "Elsa."_

_ "_Elsa_." Kai cleared his throat. "The cuts have already been ordered. What shall we do with them?"_

_ "Have them salted and stored. I'm sure there will be a merchant in the market that would be willing to take them off our hands."_

_ "Of course, Your- _ahem_, Elsa."_

* * *

The memory brought her slight comfort. Though absent for the commencement luncheon, Anna - or rather, her Ice Master - had influenced the proceedings in some small way. Just thinking about her sister made the welcoming smile she gave the onlookers far more genuine.

"Thank you all for coming," she said, smiling and making eye contact with the handful of faces that had been at her coronation. "Today, I hope, will be the beginning of many new and prolific relationships between our peoples… and our ports." The wry hint of a smile she added elicited a few chuckles. "My gratitude at your attendance, however, goes deeper than simple trade agreements or etiquette. Some may consider it indelicate to say, but I believe it would be naive to ignore the fact that very strange events transpired here not two months ago. Allow me to shed some light upon the rumors: they are true. A very powerful magic is within me that I could not always control… and as some reports may claim, that led to a brief curse upon this land. Though I assure you that the situation has been remedied, I cannot deny that it was a difficult time for all." An uncomfortable shifting had begun to infect many of her guests. She did her best not to let it bother her;.she had expected it, after all. "All the more reason, then, that I am glad to see who my allies truly are. You have done me, and this kingdom, a great honor with your attendance. I promise you nothing but safety during your time here; I pray that you will not be disappointed."

Elsa reached down and plucked a wine glass from the table, raising it with what she felt was a confident smile. "To true allies and bright beginnings. Welcome to Arendelle."

"Hail!" replied the ambassadors, raising their own glasses in turn. She noticed a few smiles on the diplomats from her coronation. Even Eirik, the foreign minister of Arendelle seated at her left, seemed pleased by the favorable reaction. Granted, he also might have been sweating and took a larger-than-necessary draught of wine.

As the tinkling of cutlery began to fill the room, Elsa eased herself into her chair with more gratitude than she cared to show. She set about subtly wiping away the traces of frost that had formed on her palms. The nervous pounding of her heart, she knew, would take a little more time to fade.

"That was quite a speech, Your Majesty. Very impressive," offered one of the dignitaries, a rather thin man with long silver sideburns. Elsa smiled graciously at the compliment, though she could already feel the winds of another challenge coming - she could not, for the life of her, recall this man's name. She _never_ forgot names...

_You spent all of last night memorizing the guest list…_

"Thank you… Minister Haugen," she managed with a pause that he did not seem to detect. _Asmund Haugen, the foreign minister of Farsund, our neighbor to the northeast_. "I'm glad you found it to your liking."

"Of course. I must say, however, I did not expect to be seated directly beside you. Though I am flattered of course, wherever might your sister be? Princess Anna, wasn't it?"

She would have been foolish to deny that the look she gave the minister was somewhat disarmed. She had had Kai close the seating gap to avoid making Anna so conspicuously absent; she had not expected to face such an inquiry so soon.

"Anna is… surveying the ice harvesting that is going about near the North Mountain," Eirik cut in. She set a mental note to thank him later. "In the wake of our recent breaking of trade with Weselton, it's grown into a significant local industry."

Asmund raised his eyebrows with curiosity. "Ice harvesting? Interesting… though given your… abilities…" he said delicately, gesturing to her lightheartedly, "one would think that ice harvesting would be… superfluous, no?"

"I hardly intend to involve myself in the ice business," she replied evenly. The suggestion irked her, made her feel like a… piece of machinery, in a way.

"Perhaps not, but I can see potential," he replied with a friendly smile. "Nations frequently wrestle over advantages - a fact of which I am sure you are aware. Your magical abilities would be a most unique advantage indeed. And politicians love uniqueness."

"Her Majesty is not a tradeswoman, if there is even such a thing," Eirik asserted dismissively. "What would Arendelle do to produce in her absence?"

"I apologize for any affront, sir." Asmund took a sip of wine as calmly as could be, waving his free hand apologetically. "I suppose it would return to the ice harvesting that Princess Anna is now so meticulously overseeing. I merely assumed that Your Majesty's abilities were hereditary."

"Hereditary?" Elsa could not wholly suppress the surprise in her voice. This conversation was not going in any direction she liked, whether it be her heirs or the nature of her powers.

"A foolish assumption, it seems. Still, if not born with your abilities, however did you come to possess them?"

That hit too close to home. She had been born with her magic - that did not mean she wanted to discuss it any further. Especially with this man. Barely thinking about her next words, she replied, "I'm sorry, Minister Haugen, but that's none of your concern."

"Of course, I apologize," he replied, gazing at her solemnly. "Sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me, I'm afraid."

Elsa sincerely doubted that his apologies were as sincere as he suggested. Fortunately, a small fact about Farsund had come to her mind.

"All is forgiven," she replied, calm again. "Though speaking of missing royalty… you serve a prince, no? Mathias, wasn't it? I thought I might see him today."

The look of incredulity on Asmund's face did not bode well. "Prince Mathias is only sixteen, Your Highness. Much too young to attend a foreign diplomatic summit."

Eirik took another swig of wine. She trusted her cheeks not to warm too noticeably. The blush of a princess was alluring - the blush of a queen was weakness.

"Ah, of course. My mistake."

"But of course, Your Majesty." Asmund tipped the wine glass to her, smiling knowingly. "All is forgiven."

Elsa suddenly knew that she would walk away from this summit with lessons that had not been taught in the confines of her room. The first was that her abilities would be a constant burden, no matter how well she controlled them. The second was that many men used meaningless chatter to reveal very meaningful weaknesses. The third was that Asmund Haugen was most certainly one of those men.

* * *

**Alright, not sure how well I leapt into the world of politics in the early 1800s, but at least you're getting a peek at more conflict here. Elsa may seem a bit vulnerable here, where usually she is portrayed as comfortable in the political setting. She's certainly leaps and bounds ahead of Anna, but I also feel that 13 years of isolation will cause problems when it comes to speaking with real politicians - especially the cunning ones like Asmund. **

**Thank you Timbo, Miss Pibbles, and Chinaluv for your most recent reviews! Suicune4ever, welcome, though I have to say my personal favorite is Entei... **


	7. 7: All That Glitters

**Chapter 7 - All That Glitters**

The forest valley was silent. Gone were the rodents collecting acorns, the songbirds perched atop the branches on their way south. Even the wind seemed to have stilled. The autumn leaves did not so much as flicker, standing silent vigil over the woodlands until life saw fit to return. A single leaf, however, rebelled against the stillness, detaching itself from the branches and falling lazily to earth.

The sun had already passed its zenith, cloaking the valley in the mountain's shadow. The night's chill was never far behind that darkness; soon the air would carry the frigid wind of winter, making grass frost and breath catch in clumps of steam. As the leaf gently came to rest upon the soil, however, it began to curl against the heat it found there.

A great trough had been torn through the forest floor, ripping through roots and dirt alike. Stones the size of human heads had been tossed aside like pebbles; anything larger had simply shattered. Some spots continued to steam from friction's heat, but there was no other motion to be seen. Not even insects or other vermin crawled from the churned-out depths. There was only the scar, a gaping wound in the pristine woodland, and the thing that had made it.

A surreal being walked unsteadily from the crater's end, challenging the stillness its arrival had inflicted upon the wood. It stood upright and possessed arms and legs, yet hardly appeared to be human. It had no flesh at all - it merely glittered, polished "skin" glittering like the brightest diamond. It was bald, and the only features to be found on its face were two glowing white eyes and a jagged crack that passed for a mouth. The thing was thin and gangly, ambling hunched between the trees.

This patheticism did not last long, however. With every step, the thing straightened, each step carrying it further. Its limbs thickened, its spindly claws grew into tightened fists. Pace quickening, the crystalline creature left the gash it had created behind. Its jagged mouth formed a macabre grin. Glittering shards fell from its waist, cloaking bare legs in an ankle-length skirt of diamond mail. It trailed one of its claws along a large pine, leaving deep gouges as easily as a knife through butter.

The crystalline being reached a rise overlooking the rest of the valley. It was a secluded place indeed; the mountains rose up all around, offering nothing in the way of passes. Faint riverlets flowed into to the endlessly thirsty sea of greenery all along the valley's length. It was beautiful, to be sure, but it did not catch the creature's glowing eyes like the structure towering above it.

A great fortress had seemingly been carved in a distant mountainside. It erupted from the ebony stone as naturally as the trees over which it towered. Snow embraced it from above, wrapping its angular features in a tide of freezing white. The structure was sturdy beyond measure - though the walls appeared to be very old, they said nothing of true disrepair.

The creature averted its eyes, exhaling as it thought. The sound was rasping, sharp, and harsh. Moments passed, but still it did not move, rooted in its own mind. Then it smiled, abruptly stepping off the ledge and dropping soundlessly into the forest below.

There was work to do.

* * *

**I know this one is particularly short, but there was only so much to tell in this scene. Still, it was important enough to have its own day. Allow me to assuage some potential fears, however - there are no aliens in this story. At least, insofar as the traditional concept of aliens goes. This thing is not from space, I assure you, despite its careening entry into the story.**

**Thank you to my regulars for your reviews, I always look forward to hearing from you. To theoccasionalreviewer, feel free to make your reviews more than occasional! Regardless, enjoy the story.**


	8. 8: Princess Errant

**Chapter 8 - Princess Errant**

Elsa gazed forlornly at the sun as it sank toward the fjord's rocky mouth. She could hear the nobles chattering outside as they were guided into the stateroom. The luncheon had let out into the ballroom for a brief period while the room was prepared, but now it was time for the talks to begin in earnest. She sighed; weariness had fallen upon her, and the day had hardly begun.

The study in which she sat was quiet. Here she would not draw stares if she sank gratefully into an armchair, or lost herself gazing into the distant sunlight. After over two hours of what amounted to conversational fencing, that simple fact was welcome relief. She almost wished that the staff would never have the dignitaries seated, because that would mean she'd never have to appear before them again. Never have to fake all that poise and confidence, to embrace the familiar bonds of polite restraint. Never have to pretend to be perfect.

She was tired of pretending to be perfect, but she had performed exactly as her father had taught her. All current events, small talk, polite smiles, and measured emotions. The vast majority of her visitors had been adequately _entertained_. It was as if she were part of a traveling circus of etiquette, put on display to be tested and poked by every nation on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. It had been a relief when she announced the transition to the stateroom, if not just to have a moment to excuse herself in preparation.

But she had managed - not always easily, but she had. She might have even done well, if the luncheon's beginning hadn't given her such an unsettling feeling.

As far as the dignitaries were concerned, Asmund Haugen was not unique. Tall, slim, past middle age, he was just another representative of a middling kingdom. Farsund was not much larger than Arendelle, primarily dealing in timber, farmed goods, and furs. Despite being neighbors, their kingdoms had had very little interaction since the death of its former king. Asmund was smooth of tongue and calm of manner, not unlike most of his peers, and aside from her blunder at the beginning of the meal, she had said almost nothing of consequence during their further conversation.

Why, then, did she get the feeling that he knew everything about her that he could possibly want?

_You did well. You made one mistake. That's all._

The thought did her little good. She had spent a lifetime berating herself for mistakes, hating herself a little more every time she formed an icicle or frosted a window. Rationalizing never worked, but that didn't stop her from trying.

She shifted in the armchair, only to hear the crackling of frost beneath her. Her heart immediately began to pound as she noticed the ice spreading away from her.

_No!_ She tried to force it away, to will it into nothingness, but it only spread faster. It was out of control again. She couldn't do this. She couldn't control it!

_"As princess of Arendelle I… command you. To come with us."_

The voice leapt to the forefront of memory, as if to answer Elsa's panicked call of need. The ice halted.

_"And nothing you can say will change my mind!"_

Her heart began to calm. Slowly, then with increasing speed, the frost broke apart, floating up into the air until it was nothing.

_Love_.

Elsa sighed, trying to bite back tears. Thinking of Anna was a painful reminder of how absent she was. What she would have given to have her sister here right now, to infect her with optimism and energy.

But then… what? If Anna were here, what could she have said? Elsa had already had so many chances. She had seen Anna in the hallway, at meal times, showing Kristoff the halls of the castle. Each time, the Snow Queen had walked away more disappointed with herself than before. No matter how many words they exchanged, she never said anything meaningful to her sister.

What could she say? She didn't have Anna's energy. She was boring… stuck studying laws and foreign customs and family trees. Her sister had spent all those years imagining this great, fantastical version of her. The thought of Anna realizing just how _imperfect_ she was… it terrified her.

_Knock knock knock._

Elsa stood, smoothing her gown. "Come in," she said calmly. Time to don the mask.

As expected, it was Eirik that pushed the door open. He straightened his jacket, offering her a polite smile.

"They are ready, Your Majesty. Once more into the fray."

Elsa nodded, taking just one more moment to collect herself. She sighed, slow and steady, building her confidence around the steady stream of her breath.

"Trust me, I feel the same way."

She looked back to her foreign minister, somewhat surprised at his candidness. He merely smiled knowingly.

"Politics is a blood sport, Your Majesty," he said. "Never does a quiet room seem more alluring than during a bout of diplomacy. Goodness, I know something about that."

Elsa smiled and inclined her head. "Thank you, Eirik. I needed to hear that."

He bowed. "Of course. It can be difficult to remember what genuineness feels like behind so many masks."

"Speaking of masks…" she said, joining him in the doorway. "Did you find any that I should be careful of?"

Eirik sighed. "I believe you've already met him. Minister Haugen took great advantage of his seating choice."

She sighed. As if she needed further reminding.

"He was probing for weaknesses. I won't let him find any."

"Yes, well…" Eirik did not seem comforted by her assertion. To that point, neither did she. "It may not be so bad. Though Princess Anna's presence may have avoided the whole matter entirely."

She'd expected that from him at some point. "Anna is free to do as she chooses. She's spent enough time trapped here on my account."

Eirik sighed, gazing at her forlornly through his spectacles. "That is noble of you. But the burden of ruling Arendelle belongs to the whole of the royal family; there is no need to carry this burden on your own, My Queen."

"Elsa," she corrected. "I'd prefer if you called me Elsa. But this is my choice."

"Perhaps," he said uncertainly. "But I do not say this only for _your_ well-being. Forgive me for saying this, but Arendelle will not always have you, Queen Elsa, and it is quite possible that Princess Anna will succeed you. She is adored by the people as much as by the staff, but… one day, she may need to be more than that."

She'd be a fool to deny that Eirik had a point. She wanted to be angry with him, but reality could be blamed by no one. Still, she could not bring herself to agree. Anna had a life to live, a man that loved her, a world to explore. She could not bring her into this nightmare.

"I understand your concerns," she said. "But for now… I believe we have a summit to conduct. Perhaps we should concern ourselves with that first."

Eirik swallowed and nodded. She could not tell if he was disappointed by her response.

"Of course," he agreed, gesturing into the hallway with a slight bow. "After you, Queen Elsa."

She paced quietly into the quartet of guards that awaited her. As they marched toward the great hall, Eirik taking up the rear, she should have been trying to predict some of the trickier proposals that would be thrown her way. She quickly found that she couldn't. All she could focus on was Anna, and the cloud of anxiety that came with her.

* * *

**Okay! I'm back. Sorry about yesterday's hiccup. Not much for me to say, other than that it feels great to post again. Thank you for your kind reviews on chapter 7, but we have some real character interactions now. Eirik really stepped up to the plate on this one; I never intended for him to have much dialogue, but he demanded it! **


	9. 9: Avalanche!

**Chapter 9 - Avalanche!**

"Ugh! Why does the sun have to be so lazy?!"

Kristoff could only smirk at his feisty redhead as they padded through the snowy forest. The sky was beginning to darken as the sun sank inexorably toward the mountains' icy peaks.

"That's what you get when you insist on going halfway to the North Mountain for a day trip," he chided.

She glared at him. "What else is there to do? We've already been all over Arendelle, and you always get grumpy in the castle."

"What? That's not true."

"Oh, no you don't! That's totally true. You always look like you're afraid to get royalty on you or something."

He sighed. The palace could be… a bit much. He'd always imagined the reclusive royal family with a laugh, wearing fancy little dresses while they ate fancy little meals on fancy little plates. Not once had he imagined himself being shown around by the princess herself, much less kissing her. The castle made him feel out of place.

"It's… different, I'll admit," he said. "Sven and I have never much been about having… _things_."

"Well, get used to it, because from now on I'm getting you lots of things."

"Mm." That was all he could manage. The prospect of Anna buying him things was another aspect of their relationship that made him uncomfortable. They continued on in silence for awhile, marveling at the way the snow coated the trees. Anna had a sense of wonderment about her, turquoise eyes darting to this sight and that. He stole glances at her as often as possible. The mountains were an old home for him; she was new, exciting. He didn't care if the palace felt strange, or if he had to weather a thousand gifts - she was worth it.

He hadn't realized how far his thoughts had wandered until he felt a small arm wrap under his. Anna had sidled beside him, gazing up at him with an inquisitive smile.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

He cleared his throat. _You_. No, that would be creepy at best. "Oh, uh, just that we won't have to walk so far, come winter; the snow didn't reach down this far last week."

"Oh. That's true, I guess." She seemed disappointed by that answer, rightfully so. It was the stupidest thing he'd said all day. She didn't say anything more, but the resulting silence felt oddly palpable.

"So, how'd you like your first time snowshoeing?" he asked. Anna seemed to light up at the question - and then promptly pitched forward with a yelp. Kristoff felt a tug at his own snowshoe as she tripped over it. Her arm clamped to his, dragging them both down into the snow. Fluffy white crystals exploded into his face, filling his nostrils and mouth. Nothing registered more prominently, however, than the squirming body atop which he landed.

Kristoff scrambled off of Anna by reflex, kneeling at her side. It didn't take much imagination to picture how badly a heavyweight like him could crush her.

"Anna! Are you okay?"

The princess had landed on her back, judging by the way snow coated her cloak. She had since curled into a ball, however, her face and hands obscured. All he could see was her frame shudder with unsteady breaths, hear her gentle whimpering.

"Ow, ow ow…"

"Anna, I'm so, so sorry," he said, trying not to panic. "Where… where does it hurt? Anna, look at me…"

"_Ha!_"

He stopped flat as another splash of snow flew into his face. "_Puh_," he spat, shaking the flakes from his eyes. The first thing he saw was Anna - sitting upright, mouth split into an expectant grin. He blinked; no words, no thoughts at all, came to mind. What had just happened?

The princess suddenly burst out laughing, falling back into the powder as she convulsed with giggles. Not gasps of pain. _Giggles._

"You… you should have seen your face!" she managed, obviously trying to suppress her laughter.

"You… you're not hurt?"

"_No_," she stressed, squirming until she could rest her head on his thigh. "Just happy."

The pounding of fear began to subside, but his relief was not _that_ overpowering. He smirked.

"Well, in that case..." He suddenly slipped away from her, twisting and falling back across her belly before she had a chance to move.

"_Oof_!" She gasped as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"Still happy now?"

"Kristoff, get _off_!" There was laughter in her oxygen-deprived voice.

"Oh, no. That trick only works once."

"Can't… breathe…"

He smirked, glancing at her through the corner of his eye. Her face was screwed in concentration as she tried in vain to push him off.

"This is what you get for scaring me like that."

Anna gasped and threw her arms over her head. They landed in the snow with an audible _piff_.

"Fine," she said. He could feel her rib cage quiver against his back as she spoke. "But you can't stay there forever."

"Longer than you can. I've moved blocks of ice heavier than you, feistypants."

"I'll give you a kiss if you move."

He snorted. "Please, like you don't do that anyway. I bet you enjoy them more than I do."

"I'm a princess. People will come looking for me."

He laughed, deciding the joke had run its course. He sat up to the chorus of Anna's exaggerated inhalation. He smirked and began to stand, but she was too quick for him.

"Oh, no you don't. I made a promise." His redhead yanked him back down, planting a kiss on his lips. He quickly ran with it, humming contentedly as they leaned into one another in the snow.

His snarkiness was not entirely snuffed out when they came apart, however. "You have an interesting way of getting even."

"I told you I'd give you a kiss if you moved. You moved."

Though the sun continued to make its way toward the horizon, Kristoff couldn't quite bring himself to move as she leaned against his arm. After a comfortable silence, she spoke again in a quiet, almost sleepy tone. "Thank you for making this day perfect, Kristoff. It's just what I needed."

Those simple words stirred something inside of him. It was something deep, instinctual, that was simultaneously familiar and foreign. Words rose in his throat of their own accord, but trepidation came with them. He swallowed, wanting to speak but unable to.

_Boom_.

The sound was distant, yet forceful; the ground vibrated, stirring Anna from her stupor. Kristoff frowned, turning to look up at the North Mountain. The peak towered above them, as snowcapped as ever, but there was something different about it. It seemed fuzzy, as if the mountain itself were shifting.

"What was that?" Anna asked, tucking a stray lock of hair back under her hat. He did not immediately answer her question; he could not believe that what he was seeing was even _real_. A life in the mountains had shown him many before, but this was unlike any of them. Black spots of rock began to appear across the entire mountainside, like it was outgrowing its snowy coat. But it wasn't the mountain at all.

"Anna, we have to move," he said, scrambling to his feet and hoisting her along with him.

"Woah, hey! What's gotten into you?" she asked, freeing herself from his grip and wiping the snow from her clothes. "What is it?"

As if to answer her question, a dull rumbling began to emanate from the mist-shrouded base of the mountain. Its peak had already become nearly bare, entirely emptied of snow. He had never seen anything on this scale before; he had no idea if it would reach them. He did not intend to wait and see.

Kristoff grabbed her shoulders and fixed her in the most serious gaze he could. "_Avalanche!_"

* * *

There could be no denying it: forests were far more appealing without snow. Anna and Kristoff could tromp around the icy slopes above all they wanted. This particular snowman was far more enthralled by the lush green of pine, the mix of browns and grays that formed the tones of the earth. Even the clarity of a sparkling stream was far more alluring without a concealing layer of ice.

"Hm…" Olaf stroked his chin as he wandered between the trees. "How hard could this be? He's a reindeer!"

Chip did not reply, opting instead to hop down onto the snowman's nose. Olaf grinned at his new companion; he had such cute, watery little eyes, not to mention the warmest-looking fur. That did not stop him from becoming angry, however, when Chip began nibbling on his nose.

"Hey! Stop that!" he snapped, yanking the little rodent up by the tail. "What did we agree? _My nose_. You have a perfectly cute one of your own."

Chip stared at him vacuously, arms folded tight to his body as he dangled before Olaf's eyes.

"I'm not putting you down until I know you've listened."

Chip cocked his head and blinked. The snowman nodded sharply before tossing the rodent back onto his scalp. "Good, now that that's settled, time to find Sven…"

The snowman leaned against a curved, low-lying branch to think. The forest seemed to be largely devoid of white things, so Olaf had volunteered to be the first seeker. Not that he had expected a giant brown pack animal with antlers to do much better. He'd had an hour to change his mind about that.

"I checked the brook, all the way down the brook… he wasn't behind the log… can't climb… don't think there are any 'monster bushes' around, hehehe…"

He abandoned the checklist as soon as he ran out of fingers with which to count, but the mystery remained. Where was that reindeer?

"Sven!"

The branch jerked in conjunction with Kristoff's sudden shout, swiping Olaf's head clean off. The world tumbled in splashes of brown, orange, and green as he tumbled along the ground. "Ow! Woah! Gah!"

When he finally came to rest, Anna and Kristoff happened to be in his view. They were already charging down the slope, snowshoes in hand. That was all well and good; what confused him the _most_ was the fact that Sven was happily plodding to meet them! How? Where could he have been hiding all this time?

"Sven! Buddy, thank goodness," Kristoff gasped, tossing the snowshoes to the ground as he lifted Anna onto the reindeer's back. "We gotta go, right now."

Sven grunted questioningly, his antlers exaggerating the sudden tilt of his head. Trapped on the soil as he was, Olaf couldn't help but realize how similar those spires of horn looked like… branches. Low-lying branches, very good for leaning on when one needed to think.

"Well, guess that answers that question," he deadpanned, glancing up at the petrified chipmunk still clinging to his scalp.

"Olaf, you too," Kristoff said, snatching him off the ground and shoving him back onto his wandering torso.

"Hey, woah!" Olaf exclaimed as the ice man hauled him to Sven, stubby legs dangling above the ground. "What's going on?"

Kristoff dumped him in front of Anna, leaving very little room between him and Sven's neck. "_That_!"

Olaf followed Kristoff's finger. It was still quite distant, but he would have been blind to miss it: a sheet of white was racing down the mountainside. Billowing tufts of snow rippled behind it like clouds, growing ever larger as the wintry line got closer. If it was going to stop soon, it gave no sign.

"Mruuunh!" Sven hollered his alarm.

"Go Sven, go!" Anna shouted, hunching forward and pinning Olaf down. The reindeer didn't need to be told twice; jerking them all about as he turned, he vaulted down the hillside as the dull roar grew louder and louder.

* * *

**Goodness, it's been an age! The semester's really been heating up, leaving me less and less time to write. I apologize for the gap, but fortunately this update is a bit longer than most. Given that I will have less time going forward, I'm going to opt for less frequent, larger updates. No more 1-day bursts; I found that they made it difficult to get immersed in the story anyway. Having a few days' interval will give me time to write when I can, rather than worry about pushing out content. I think it's for the best.**

**But enough of that. I hope you enjoyed this update. Thanks to my reviewers for last chapter, of course; you were the fire under my bottom that got this chapter out! See you all next update.**


	10. 10: The Board is Set

**Chapter 10 - The Board is Set**

Uneasiness clung to the board room like a stench. Many of the officials and representatives present spoke niceties to one another, questioning why they had been summoned so suddenly. The sun hung halfway between the sea and sky. They were never called this late in the day, much less on the faintest trace of notice.

Still, it was almost always easier to humor their lord than tempt a tantrum.

Their meager conversing was cut short when board room's oaken doors swung wide. The Duke of Weselton stormed inside, his body guards following briskly behind.

"Sit! Sit at once!" The Duke snapped. His face was beet red. A piece of parchment was clenched in his fist, fluttering helplessly as he rushed by. He had crossed the entire room before most of Weselton's plump dignitaries could even find their seats.

The Duke rounded upon the head of the table, but did not sit. He still looked oddly small against the massive wooden plane, seven feet wide and almost three times as long. The other officials - mostly merchants, as well as a few clerks and his other personal appointees - settled into the plush cushions of their chairs.

He slapped the parchment against the table, eying the board room doors testily as they slowly glided shut. The wooden _thud_ that resounded through the air brought silence upon them all, save for his infuriated breath.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked them all. His eyes jumped from this official to that, as if he were trying to spot traitors among them. Perhaps he was; the Duke tended to suspect the odd conspiracy every few years, whether or not one actually existed. "Do you know what this _is_, gentlemen?"

He slid the parchment to the nearest man - Nikolaus, the duchy's head treasurer - without waiting for a response. "Read it!" he snapped, fixing his eyes on the grain of the table. The way he stared, he might have be trying to char the wood.

Nikolaus cleared his throat, affixed his monocle, and cautiously began to read.

"To His Grace, The Duke of Weselton… the Kingdom of Farsund is most honored by your invitation. It is thusly with the utmost regret that it must respectfully decline your…" The treasurer faltered, readjusting his monocle. Farsund's decline of their request was news - and a disappointment - to every man in the room.

"Keep going!" the Duke spat, kneading his gloved hands furiously. Looking positively frightened, Nikolaus complied.

"...Must respectfully decline your request to negotiate new terms of trade and tariff. The embassy of His Highness Prince Mathias are otherwise occupied for the coming weeks, and have already been committed to a trade summit in…" He swallowed, all but failing to pronounce the last word. "...Arendelle."

"_Arendelle_!" the Duke repeated, quite loudly at that. He slammed both hands against the table, causing many of them to jump in their chairs. "Of all places, that confounded little fjord and its damned witch of a queen! It wasn't enough that she invited half of the known world to her coronation, only to attempt murder on us all! Now she's trying to steal my _trade partners?_!"

"With all due respect, Your Grace," offered a middle-aged merchant, "We do not _have_ any specific trade legislation with regard to Farsund."

"And we certainly won't now!" the Duke snapped. He paced about the room, his face sometimes twitching. "That vile sorceress will have the entire North Sea in her icy clutches before long if we don't do something!"

Some of the older men shared skewed glances. The scenario was an unlikely one; if Queen Elsa had desired military or even economic supremacy, she would have started before now. All of them, however, knew better than to raise this point with the Duke.

"Why not a blockade?" asked the merchant. "The Duchy has a formidable fleet at its disposal, larger than anything Arendelle could muster in response. It might remind their queen where the balance of power lies, and tip future negotiations in our favor."

Before anyone else could respond, a dismissive laugh sounded from the far end of the table. The merchant shot a look at the man that had issued it. He was in his early twenties, with terracotta hair that was well-combed and a mustache to match. He wore the black and maroon coat of Weselton's navy, with surprising honors for someone so young. His look of amusement, however, fit his age quite nicely.

The merchant narrowed his eyes.

"I'm sorry, what is your name? You seem to be a new face."

The naval officer seemed much less amused at that. "Rask. Admiral Rask. Recently appointed by Admiral Stefansen after his retirement, if you recall."

The merchant shrugged, his ignorance pointed. "No, I'm afraid I don't."

Admiral Rask steepled his fingers and leaned upon the table. "Then I'm not surprised you forgot that Queen Elsa is capable of creating _ice_. Ice that is detrimental to ships of any kind."

The merchant let out a spontaneous laugh of his own. "Surely her powers cannot overcome an entire _navy_, Your Grace," he said, turning back to the Duke.

"Oh? Were you there when she tried to kill me? Were you _there_ when she froze the entire fjord? Were you _THERE _when she put a curse across the entire realm?!" the Duke snapped back, much to the merchant's surprised dismay. "Apparently not! And I can assure you that she will not hesitate to do so with _us_, if we so much as glare at her! The Admiral is quite right, there is nothing we can do! Believe me, I would like nothing more than to knock that monster off her throne, but seeing as…"

His frenetic monologue slowed to a halt, steadily finding itself replaced by another sound. He cast his eyes to the doors, simultaneously drifting toward his bodyguards as they moved to his side.

A slow whine filled the room, decorated occasionally by a prickling snap. The other nobles followed his gaze, eyes widening at what they saw.

Beginning at first with the crevice between them, and then radiating out across the polished doors, was a fine layer of frost. It expanded more rapidly with each passing second, quickly spreading along the walls and floor.

"My God..." the Duke muttered, cowering behind his men. Each of them drew a rapier, staunch against the waves of cold spewing from underneath the doors. "H-how did she know? How _could_ she know? How could she be here?"

Some of the councillors had already abandoned their seats, almost comically stumbling over one another to get away from the entrance.

"Do not hesitate," the Duke muttered to his bodyguards. "Do not let her appearance fool you! She is dangerous, and will kill you if she gets the chance!"

The whine ceased. The frost stilled, having devoured half of the wall. All seemed still for an agonizing moment. Then the doors swung wide, revealing a shadowy figure cloaked in icy gray mist. The bodyguards rushed forward, battle cries on their lips. That was as far as they got.

The figure gestured casually. The mist surged forward in two ghostly streams, one for each man. It washed over them, once again filling the air with the sharp snaps of rapid freezing. Nobles yelped, declared curses, and expressed every other manner of fright both masculine and feminine.

As quickly as it had begun, it was over. The mist cleared, leaving only the bodyguards. They had become still, swords raised like commemorative statues. Only the miniscule ice crystals protruding from their skin betrayed the truth of their morbid fate. It was almost a relief when the figure, no longer shadowed, stepped forward to provide some other center of attention.

It was not Queen Elsa by any stretch of the imagination. Ornate leather armor covered a muscular, fair-skinned man. The rustic outfit was meticulously polished, almost shining in the fading sunlight. Boots, pants, tunic, and spaulders - all was replete in cured finery, save for the cloak of wolf's fur that hung across his broad shoulders. His hair was gray and neatly combed, arms well-muscled and adorned only by silver bracers. Chiseled features were obscured only by a short, thick beard and mustache. He could have been a warlord of old, save for the unusual streaks of frost that ran through his hair, coated his cloak, and seeped from the seams of his armor.

"Greetings, Your Grace," he said, raising his arms as if to embrace the Duke. His voice was confident and breathy, with a slight rasp that made him seem to have the wisdom of ages. Even then, he could not have been a day into his forties.

The Duke swallowed, only now realizing that he had pressed himself against the wall. He extricated himself with a sound of acknowledgement to the newcomer - something between a grunt and a squeak.

The sorcerer walked forward with heavy footsteps. He gestured to the two frozen bodyguards as he neared them.

"I apologize for damaging your property. One cannot be too safe, you know." Were it not for the smile on his face, he might have been sincere. The smile quickly faded, however, at the click of a hammer being cocked.

"No, I suppose one cannot." The frozen man's eyes narrowed. He slowly turned to face the speaker. Admiral Rask had lowered a pistol to his face. "Who are you?"

"I did not come here to address you," he replied, scanning the officer from head to toe. There was derision in his eyes. "I would advise you to put the gun away, boy."

Rask cocked his head, eyes narrowed to match his. "What if I don't?"

The charm had faded from their visitor's expression. "Someone could die."

"What makes you think I want you alive?"

"It wouldn't be me."

There was a high-pitched sigh on the other end of the room, drawing all eyes away from the standoff. Nikolaus, pale as a sheet, had simply keeled over. Some of the councillors shied away from him as if he had the plague; others hesitantly knelt to help him into a less-compromising position. The sorcerer's nostril twitched at the sight.

Still, it seemed enough to help the Duke find his voice again.

"Hello! Yes, Duke of Weselton here." He laughed nervously, eyes constantly flitting to his ex-henchmen. "Kindly put the pistol away now, Admiral. _Now_."

Rask's temples pulsed as he clenched his jaw. For a moment, it seemed that he would not comply; finally, he pulled back his arm as if yanking it away from someone's grip. The stranger all but smirked, smoothly turning back to the Duke.

"Thank you; be a shame to lose a third man today."

"Mmh," the Duke squeaked. He sounded like he had something stuck in his throat.

The stranger merely smirked satisfactorily. "Forgive me, I meant to introduce myself before I was interrupted. My name is Uller, Master of the Mountains."

"The mountains? _Master_?!" The Duke swallowed, eyes darting to his supporters. Supporting, it seemed, was their last interest at the moment. "You… you haven't been sent by the Snow - I mean, Queen Elsa?"

Uller's smile widened. "No, _Your Grace_." He seemed to be mocking the title. "Though I should like to talk about her."

"T-talk about her?"

"Yes, _talk about her_." Uller crossed his arms, passing a relaxed gaze through the window. The sun reflected off of the frost in his hair; he almost seemed to sparkle like a diamond. "I understand you have a problem in relation to… what are they calling her now? _The Snow Queen_, isn't it?"

"A- a problem? Why I…" The Duke did a double take. "How did you know that?!"

"You are a loud speaker, Your Grace," Uller replied. "You wish to engage in an act of war with Arendelle, and Elsa's…" He smirked, passing his hand before the window. The glass frosted over, dulling the sunlight and causing the shine of his mantle to fade. "_Unique_ abilities are preventing you from that course of action. Am I correct or aren't I, _Your Grace_?"

The Duke cocked his head back, only now coming to notice the derision in his voice. "And if you are?!"

"Then you will find me to be very generous." Uller folded his arms behind his back, turning to face the noticeably smaller man. "Elsa is of… very specific interest to me. There is a situation between us that may require a sort ofleverage. Leverage that your embargo will provide for me."

"Provide for _you_?" The Duke asked indignantly. He seemed to be finding his footing again. "Weselton's fleet is not for hire! And even if that were so, Queen Elsa's powers remain a problem!"

Uller laughed. It was a sound deep inside his throat, breathy and slow, as if he could not be bothered to make it faster. He raised his palm; an icicle grew from it, rising higher and higher until it was almost three feet tall. "No, they don't."

"And that's another thing!" the Duke continued, though he eyed the miniature spire of ice warily. "I cannot ignore the similarity of your abilities! How can I know that you are not in collusion with wicked sorceress?!"

Uller's smile faded. He swung his arm upward, inverting the icicle, and drove it downward. The spear of ice tore through rug and hardwood. It was buried more than six inches into the floor before it stopped, looking no worse for wear. Not even a single crack marred its crystalline perfection.

The Duke stepped backward, eyes once again wide. Uller fixed him with a gaze that made him seem to shrink.

"I am nobody's thrall," he said, voice low and warning. "And you are helpless without my aid. That is how the choice lies, _Jesper_."

The dignitaries stirred. They all knew perfectly well how much the Duke hated his given name. Even its casual use could get one fired, depending on the situation.

"Excuse me?" the Duke asked, once again at least somewhat courageous. Uller seemed unperturbed.

"You can sail for Arendelle and blockade them. I will defend you from Elsa's power, and should violence occur, I will bolster your forces. When she is inevitably forced to surrender, we will both be able to extract the terms from her that we desire."

The Duke averted his indignant gaze. His eyes darted here and there, never truly seeing anything as his thoughts raced.

"Or…" Uller shrugged, raising his hands as if to literally weigh the possibilities. "You can do nothing. Sit in your little duchy while it fades away, an adorable little port town for sailors and pirates to land in when they need a good night of drinking. The choice is yours."

Many seconds passed wordlessly, the Duke frozen in thought.

"You're not seriously _considering_ this, Your Grace?" Uller once again directed his icy gaze toward Admiral Rask as he extricated himself from the cluster of officials. "We'd be banking a military campaign - initiated over _trade agreements_, I might add - on this _one_ man! We can't trust him, I've never even heard of him! This is _folly_, my lord."

He made sure to look directly in Uller's eyes on the last line. The Master of the Mountains raised his chin ever so slightly, as if the angle change helped him see more of Rask's character.

"You are brave, Admiral. Young, handsome - the world at your feet." He chuckled, circling the officer like a hawk. Rask stood his ground, jaw sharp and angular from the clench of his teeth. He never dropped his eyes as Uller traced a line of frost beneath his boots, slowly encompassing him. "But you are _young_… you have not seen the world."

Rask narrowed his eyes. "And you have?"

Uller laughed again, deep and breathy. "Oh yes, Admiral… yes I have. I have seen great halls the size of mountains. I have seen throngs of men prostrated before those halls, warriors weeping like babes." His path curved inward, coming closer, mere feet from the officer. Rask felt his hand ache for his pistol.

And then Uller had moved away, continuing apace. Only the dent in his path of frost betrayed the threatening maneuver.

"The ages wore by, and I saw those men change their faces…" His eyes lost focus, became distant. "Their lords, their… _gods_… became soft. And one by one, they found new lords to follow. But the gods sat still, fading away into myth and legend… because we did _nothing_!"

The frost on the floor flared with his inflection, growing tiny icicles along its track. Rask was not deterred.

"Oh, now you're a god?" he scoffed. "Even the Snow Queen wouldn't make that claim."

Uller's anger faded to a grin once again. "No… no she wouldn't." He stopped where he had begun, standing between the Admiral and the Duke. As if to admire artwork, he cast his eyes to the ground. There, drawn obviously in frost, was the shape of a heart. Some of the dignitaries shared confused looks with one another, but Rask's eyes remained fixed on the floor. "But you don't need me to tell you that, do you?"

The Admiral's eyes darted searchingly across the strange choice of design. _What…?_ Rask looked back to Uller, who met his gaze contentedly.

"So tell me, Admiral… am I a mere man?"

The Duke looked back and forth between them. "Admiral, what is going on here?"

"Just a higher being keeping another in his place," Uller said, turning back to the ruler of Weselton. Rask made no comment, merely staring at the back of the ice god's head. He seemed paler, the heart of frost quickly deteriorating into water around him.

Uller, however, had eyes only for the Duke. "So, Your Grace… have you decided?"

* * *

**Hello! Yes! I am still here!**

**There's a lot buried in this scene, so it was pretty tough to write. I'm glad to get it done, however, because now the plot can really pick up! Should you feel tempted to review, let me know what you think of Uller and my impression of the Duke! Those were by far the hardest bits.**

**Now, there are elements introduced in this scene (I won't say what they were, of course) that need a little bit of back story. The back story is tangential to the main plot, however, so I will be expanding upon it in a short story outside of this one. Rest assured in that it needs to be done, so my work on that is ultimately going to feed back here. I won't be updating this story until the other story is done, but the other story shouldn't take long. Whew. Follow my Frozen progress in the soon-to-be released "Love is an Open Door"! Then we can come back here and laugh about it.**


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